LilSugar

Lil Find: Taro Gomi Drawing Books

babysugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:00:32 -0700

When your tot grows tired of the yellow lined legal pad, treat him to a super special Taro Gomi drawing book.

Since there are four different books to choose from, there's one for every lil artist.

If your honey needs a little direction, Scribbles ($14) or Doodles ($14) might be the right choice as they gives wee ones an image to build on for every page.

To see what else there is to choose from, read more.

If your kid is into paints and drawing, he can expand his imagination and talents on the plentiful illustrations in Squiggles ($14). And if you're trying to teach your babe a thing or two about the seasons, check out Doodle All Year ($12) where springtime animals, Summer fruit, Fall foods and Winter weather are all topics of doodling discussion.

One thing is certain, your sweetheart will be a busy bee with all of those pages and crayons. You can put "Mommy are we there yet?" to rest with a lil help from Taro Gomi.

Doodles by Taro Gomi ($14)	Squiggles by Taro Gomi ($14)
Scribbles by Taro Gomi ($14)	Doodle All Year by Taro Gomi ($12)

Silver Cross's Doodle Offers Longevity in a High chair

LilSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:00:07 -0700

We spend so much time researching baby gear that we often don't see the forest through the trees. Most of the products are used for such a short period of time that before we know it, they are sent to storage until another tot is ready to use it. Silver Cross, the British company best known for its celeb-endorsed prams, is introducing a new solution to the time-sensitive high chair. The Silver Cross Doodle Chair ($220), which is set to hit stores this month, quickly and easily converts from a high chair to a tot-sized table and chairs with little more than a few clicks. As a high chair, the Doodle features a five-point harness system, wipeable cushions, and an adjustable seat. Once transformed into a play table, it has an underneath storage tray and detachable crayon and pencil cups. With its clean modern lines and neutral color options, the Doodle may be the ideal solution to baby gear that grows with your lil one.

Toy Box: Doodlers

LilSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:45:40 -0800

As holiday travel approaches, it's a great time to stock up on doodlers - the inexpensive drawing boards that provide kids hours of art time using a water or magnetic pen.

Whether your child is bored on the airplane, in the back seat of the car, or at grandma's house, the travel-sized doodlers are a great distraction. And, they are light enough for children to transport themselves. No more pulling crumpled paper from your purse or having to fetch rolling crayons.

Aquadoodle Mini Mat ($12)	Travel Magna Doodle ($12)
Travel Doodle Pro ($10)	Aquadoodle Travel Go N Doodle ($20)

Cut Picnic Costs by Tossing Household Items in the Basket

babysugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:03:44 -0700

The point of a picnic is to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors with the family. I am an admitted foodie, but not going to break the bank by packing a gourmet meal for our afternoon adventures with the kids. They dine and dash toward the swings leaving my husband and I to scarf up what we can before chasing them around. Leave the fine dining to date night and use existing household items for a day on the grass with the tots.

Grocery bags - If they're good enough to bring food home from the store, they'll serve well for toting it to the park, too. They also double as trash and recycling receptacles.
Finery - I keep take-out utensils for these occasions. If it's not too much trouble, you can also bring along your own silverware and wash it at home later.
Blanket - Instead of packing a fancy throw for the occasion, use an old moving blanket (like those used by U-Haul or moving companies) and a sheet. A heavy moving blanket will stay in place and absorb any wetness from dew or rain and can unfold for seating many. Bring along paperclips and attach an old sheet for a soft and cheery appearance.
Old containers - Pack sandwiches, veggies, fruits, and other delectable snacks in rinsed out containers. Refill reusable bottles with water and juices instead of buying new ones.
Games - Bring along a bevvy of games to humor the whole family. Blow bubbles, throw dice, doodle with chalk, or fly a kite!
Music - Bring the noise and the funk! Don't fret if you're iPodless, make your own music with cups, tubs, or a guitar for those who are musically inclined!

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When Wedding Bells Include Kids

babysugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:00:57 -0700

While I can appreciate adult only weddings, I do get a kick out of a sweet flower girl tossing petals and a dapper ring bearer scooting down the aisle. If the engaged couple wants to include tots in their nuptial festivities, there are a few things they can do to keep the babes blissful and enjoying the blessed event.

Try these tips to keep kiddos content:

Instead of setting the kiddie table with pristine linens, cover the top with butcher paper and place cups full of crayons on the table. The tots can doodle away whilst the adults toast to the newlyweds.
Bring bottles of bubbles so youngsters can blow spheres till their hearts content.
If it's an outdoor wedding, set out a bucket of chalk so the mini artists can create a work of art or hopscotch game on the sidewalks.

To see the rest of my list, read more.

In addition to the butcher paper, supply the babes with coloring and activity books.
Arm them with loads of books, puzzles and cards.
Stickers can go a long way - adhering them to hands or creating a picture with them.
Set out small pots of playdough for aspiring sculptors!

Keeping within a budget, the engaged couple may ask their mommy friends to help pitch in books, games, and other supplies to lighten the load. And if money is not a concern, hire a sitter to watch the munchkins. I've been to some affairs where a separate tent was set up entirely for wee ones and caretakers. It was a pleasure filled paradise for the tots and it allowed mom and pop to dance the night away while stepping away for the occasional check-in.
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Sibling Shower: Décor

LilSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:00:20 -0700

The key to this soiree is simplicity so all you need to decorate the sibling shower digs is some helium balloons and a sharpie marker. Make baby face balloons by drawing fun lil expressions - sleeping babe, pacifier sucking tot and yawning youngster - what ever comes to mind, on balloons of your kiddo's favorite colors. If the guests are old enough, design a few and then let the tots go wild decorating their own with washable markers. Ask the children to doodle up what they envision the baby looking like or their own smaller sibling. Tie the baby face balloons off in bundles or let them roam freely around the room for the wee one's to bat at.

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids!

Kiddie Soiree: Easy and Inexpensive Birthday Invites

LilSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:00:53 -0800

Why spend $50 on birthday invitations when you've got an artistic four-year-old? My daughter's fifth birthday is fast approaching and she wants to invite her entire preschool class to her party. Not all the children's parents are in the class email group or listed in the address directory and we don't want to accidentally leave anyone out. So I needed to figure out a foolproof way of getting every tot an invitation.

Using a marker and a piece of construction paper, I created a flier listing all the details and then asked my daughter to design the rest of the sheet. After doodling a border, birthday cake and dress, she was finished. We ran copies of her masterpiece onto pink paper and sent them to school where her teacher popped one in each child's backpack. Parents clearing out their kids' knapsacks easily found the bright invite.

Eco Tot: Puddlefoot Organic Tees

LilSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:15:11 -0800

Encourage your lil one to eat his veggies with the sweet organic tees by Puddlefoot ($22), a line of shirts designed to celebrate the goodness of the garden. Created by Suzi MacDougall, an Ojai, California mom, the shirts feature six animated garden-variety vegetables with cute taglines. From "Stalky" the celery to "Y'onion" the onion, the sweatshop-free shirts are also PVC and pthalate-free and made with water-based inks. Inspired by the plants and animals she grew up with, MacDougall began doodling caricatures as a child herself. Once her sons were born, she put her designs to work and started the Puddlefoot brand. If the cute veggies can get your tot to at least try the goods, the shirts will have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 -0800

Six- and 7-Year-Old German Kids Set Out to Elope in Africa

LilSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:00:53 -0800

I'm pretty sure this surpasses the term puppy love. A couple of German children decided to skip doodling each other's names on their notebooks and set out to elope in Africa. And, they weren't about to skimp on any details. After devising a plan while their families celebrated New Year's Eve together, the kids packed all the marriage and honeymoon must haves - sunglasses, swimming trunks, a lilo, and a sibling!

One report said:

The pair identified as Mika and Anna-Lena "are very much in love and decided to get married in Africa where it is warm, taking with them as a witness Anna-Lena's little sister, aged five," police spokesman Holger Jureczko told AFP.

The tykes took off while their parents slept and boarded a nearby tram en route to a central station where the tots could connect with another train to the airport. There, a security guard got suspicious and contacted police, who alerted the lovebirds' parents.

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